Automatic air coupler



Aug. 29, 1944. J. G. EDWARDS AUTOMATIC AIR COUPLER Original Filed July 12, 1933 W GWMVENTQR ATTORNEY 7 ubvllsvu nu n-v, .w l

AUTOMATIC AIR COUPLER James G. Edwards, Wilkes Barre, Pa., assignor to Caleb M. Edwards, Glencoe, Ill.

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 680,028, July 12, 1933. This application May 6, 1941, Serial No. 392,054

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an air coupler by means of which the air and steam lines on cars of a train or on trailers can be automatically coupled and uncoupled. The device consists of duplicate parts to be attached to ends of the cars or trailers and comprises a support and a pivoted arm for each half of the coupler,

The principal object of this invention is to provide an air and steam line coupling 'which is adapted to automatically connect together and form an air-tight connection between the ends of the air and steam pipes forming part of the car equipment.

Air and steam lines on trains are now coupled by hand. That this is a dangerous proceeding no one denies. No coupling has yet been made which is sure and positive in its action, which is sufficiently flexible to allow the parts to have a certain amount of play in all directions and yet have enough elasticity whereby the parts are being continually urged into their normal position. The need for such a device is therefore obvious. The fact that none is used indicates that all the prior devices are lacking in some essential feature. I

It is therefore one object of this invention to provide means for holding the two parts of the coupling in correct position when the cars are uncoupled, so that the parts will come together when the cars are coupled.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the parts of the coupling may move laterally under tension when being coupled on a curve or after being coupled may follow the movement of the train around a curve and yet positively return to the normal position when the train reaches the straight-a-way.

Still another object of this invention is to provide complementary pivoted members adapted to be associated in a manner that will prevent accidental or casual disconnection while the cars are coupled.

A further object of this invention is to provide a coupling for air and steam pipes for cars or trailers that will form a leak-proof connection between the point of juncture of the air and steam lines.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a flexible connection between the coupling head and the train which will permit the head to move as in the act of coupling and in rounding curves.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which consists of comparatively few parts and is simple in construction but durable and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which devices of this character are ordinarily subjected.

This invention also consists of certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will be understood from the description in connection with the attached drawing in which:

Fig. l is a view of the coupling heads in the act of coupling;

Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the coupling heads;

Fig. 3 is a front view of one of the coupling heads;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the support, partly broken away;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the support;

Fig. 6 is a separate View of the toggle arm for holding the arms in coupled position.

As the device consists of duplicate parts, only one of each of the parts will be described. In the drawing reference character Ill (Fig. 4) indicates a hollow support which may be attached by a bracket or in any other convenient way to the drawbar of a car. The front end or wall I I of the support In is rounded as shown in Fig. 5 and is provided with a slot I2 that extends slightly above the middle line to the bottom wall of the support II]. This slot increases in Width in a downward direction as shown in Fig. 5, Slots I3 are provided in opposite side walls of the support I!) (Fig. 4).

A barrel-shaped member I4 with slightly curved ends has a solid cylindrical extension I5 (Fig. 5) at one end projecting into one of the slots I3 and a hollow cylindrical extension I6 projecting thru the other slot I3. These extensions I5 and I6 serve as pivots for the member I4 and for this reason their diameter is less than the vertical width of the slots I3. An axial passage I1 is provided in the extension I6 and communicates with the inner end of a radially disposed hole I8 terminating slightly beyond the axis or center line of the member I4. The outer end of the extension I6 is connected to an air line (not shown).

A spring-pressed block I9 gears against the member I4 tending to push it to the rounded end II of the support Ill. The block I9 is provided with an arcuate-shaped longitudinally extending recess I9 where it bears against the member I I.

A guide pin 20 is attached to the block l9 and is surrounded by a compression spring 2| one end of which presses against the block l9. The other end of the spring 2| presses against the end of the hollow adjusting screw 22 that is screwed into a threaded opening 23 in the rear end of the support I0, The adjusting screw 22 is provided with a head 24 by means of which it may be turned for regulating the tension of the spring 2|. An arm 25 (Fig. 2) provided with an axial passage 21 thru the extent thereof, fits into hole I8 in such a manner that passage 21 cooperates with passage H in the extension Hi to form a continuous passage.

The arm 25 has a wing 29 (Fig. 2) and an extension or tongue 30 at its outer end, the wing 29 and tongue 30 being spaced apart. The wing 29 is provided with a curved guiding surface 3| along its inner side and also with a curved guide flange 32 and curved flange 32', on its upper and lower edges respectively. These guide surfaces on the wing and flanges are for the corresponding extension 30 of the other arm of the pair.

A socket 33 (Fig. 2) is provided in the flange 32 near the place where the wing 29 connects with the arm 25. This socket has a curved inner wall 33 and a lower edge 33" (Fig. 2). An offset 34 connects the extension or tongue 30 with the arm 25 at a point slightly forward from the lower end of the socket 33.

The inner end of the flange 32' on the wing 29 is curved or rounded as shown at 35 (Fig. 2) and a curved recess 36 is provided along the lower edge of the flange 32' under the rounded end 35. The inner surface 31 of the wing 29 is flat, near the end of the curved surface 3|, and lies in a vertical plane parallel to arm 25.

The lower side of the extension 30 is curved as shown at 38 (Fig. 2) and the end of the extension 30 is rounded as shown at 39 (Fig. 3). The outer surface of the extension 3|] is flat as shown at 4|] and lies in a vertical plane parallel to the arm 25. The inner surface 4| of the extension 30 is likewise flat and when the parts are coupled contacts with the inner flat surface 25' of that portion of the arm 25 lying beyond the point of juncture with the wing 29.

A rounded recess 42 is provided in the lower edge of the extension 30, leaving a sort of hook 43 which extends partly around the rounded and 35 of the other member when the parts are in coupled position.

The arm 25 terminates in a fiat face 34 which slants forward at an angle of 45 to the horizontal axis of the arm and is adapted to contact a similar face on an opposite arm when the two are coupled.

A box 49 is mounted on the top side of the arm 25 just where the offset 34 joins the arm 25 and is connected to the main air line 21 thru line 50. A toggle arm 45 is pivotedly mounted on support 41 and is adapted to cooperate with a catch 48 on an opposite coupler when actuated by spring 46.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. Each arm 25 is normally kept by the spring 2| in an approximately horizontal position when the coupling is uncoupled. When the outer ends of the two arms 25 are brought together in a longitudinal direction as shown in Fig. 1, the end of the extension 30 on each arm strikes the curved surface 3|, 32, or 32 of the other arm, thus guiding the rounded end 39 into the curved socket 33 of the other arm.

Movement of the rounded end 39 along the curved socket 33 of the other arm and in particular along the curved inner wall 33' causes the two arms 25 to turn from the position shown in Fig. 1 to a position at an angle of approximately 45 thereto, thus bringing the faces 34 and the outer ends of the openings 44 in the faces into alignment and firm air-tight contact with each other. At the same time, the springs 2| are partly compressed and the extensions l5 and I5 are moved to aboutthe middle of the slots |3 so that lost motion or play in the drawheads, caused by jerking of the train, is permitted. If desired resilient material may be embedded in the faces 34' around the holes 44 to make the joint more air-tight.

tensions l6 are opened, thus establishing air connection between the cars whereupon air pressure will operate the spring 46 and force toggle arms 45 to coact with catches 48 on the respective opposite arms and act as safety devices in preventing the heads from becoming accidently uncoupled.

When the arms 25 are connected, they will still have relative movement due to the relationship of the parts in the support II). The slots |2 permit vertical movement of the arms 25 when the train passes over uneven portions of the track or over an incline and. because they are wider at the bottom than at the top, permit lateral movement of the arms when the train is rounding a curve. In such a case the arm 25 approaches the side of the lower part of the slot |2 causing the barrel M to be twisted on one of the extensions l5 or IE as a center while the other extension moves back thru its slot I3 compressing spring 2|. The arms 25 are thus always under tension and when forced upwardly or laterally by the irregularities of the track or motion of the cars are always being continually urged back into their proper positions so that misalignment or uncoupling does not occur. Moreover the fact that the slots I2 at their upper ends are approximately the same width as the horizontal dimension of the arm 25 entering these slots, very little, if any, lateral movement of the arms 25 is permitted when they are in the uncoupled position shown in Fig. 1.

Before the coupling is uncoupled the valves on the connections leading to the hollow extension I6 are closed, whereupon the toggle arm 45 is released from its engagement with catch 48. The cars are then uncoupled and as they move apart the arms 25 move from the coupled position to the position shown in Fig. 1 with the rounded end 35 of the flange 32' of each arm turning in the recess 42 of the extension 30 of the other arm until the lower edge 38 of the extension 30 of each arm 25 bearing upon the upper edge of the flange 32 of the other arm causes the hook 43 of each arm to rise above the rounded end 35, whereupon the arms can be separated in a longitudinal direction. This also causes the outer ends of the arms 25 to be raised slightly above the horizontal position, in which position they will be maintained by means of spring 2| until the next coupling is made.

This application is a substitute for abandoned application filed July 12, 1933, Serial 680,028.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawing have reference to what might be considered to be the preferred form of my invention. I desire it to be understood, however, that I may make such changes in the construction and com- After the arms 25 are coupled, they valves 0n the air hose leading to the hollow ex I bination of parts as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an air-hose coupler, a pair of supports, each support having a radially increasing, downwardly disposed frontal slot and oppositely disposed lateral slots, a barrel-shaped member pivoted in said lateral slots, spring-pressed means supporting said barrel-shaped member, an arm attached to said barrel-shaped member and projecting thru said frontal slot, said arm having a longitudinal air passage therein, means on one of the ends of said arm adapted to engage a similar device on the arm in said opposite support whereupon said arm is caused to move downward thru said frontal slot, said frontal slot being adapted to permit substantially only downward movement of said arm when in normal position but adapted to permit increasing lateral movement as said arm descends thru said slot, and means for aligning said air passages in said arms when said arms have reached their lowestmost point in said slot.

2. In an air-hose coupler, a pair of supports, each support having a radially increasing, downwardly disposed frontal slot and oppositely disposed lateral slots, a barrel-shaped member pivoted in said lateral slots, an arm attached to said barrel-shaped member and projecting thru said frontal slot, said arm having a longitudinal air passage therein, means on one of the ends of said arm adapted to engage a similar device on the arm in said opposite support whereupon said arm is caused to move downward thru said frontal slot, means for aligning said air passages in said arms when said arms have reached their lowestmost point in said frontal slot, and means for holding said arms in said engagement.

3. In a support for a pipe coupling arm, means for holding said arm in position and allowing lateral movement only when coupled comprizing a housing having a curved wall provided with a slot increasing in width toward the bottom thru which said arm extends.

4. A support for a pipe coupling arm comprizing a housing having oppositely disposed lateral slots and a radially increasing downwardly disposed frontal slot thru which said arm extends, a carrier member for said arm pivoted in said lateral slots, and means engaging said carrier member for continually urging said arm to maintain a forward and horizontal position.

5. A support for a pipe coupling arm comprising, in combination, a carrier member for said arm, means engaging said carrier member to continually urge said arm to maintain a forward and horizontal position and means in said carrier member to prevent lateral movement of said arm when uncoupled, said arm being so mounted in said carrier member that it is free to move laterally when coupled.

6. A support for a pipe coupling arm comprising, in combination, a housing, a carrier member for said arm pivoted in said housing, means engaging said carrier member to continually urge said arm to maintain a forward and horizontal position, and means in said housing to prevent lateral movement of said arm when uncoupled, said arm being so mounted in said carrier member that it is free to move laterally when coupled.

JAMES G. EDWARDS. 

